Homeless Bird

Pre-reading Activity 1: You must list three items in each category.

Know / Want to Learn / Learned
India’s Customs
(Education and Expectations for Girls)
1.
2.
3.
India’s Beliefs(Beliefs/Spiritual)
1.
2.
3.
India’s Foods/Travel
1.
2.
3.

Chapter One Vocabulary

  1. Sari
  1. Tamarind Tree
  1. Turmeric
  1. Cinnamon
  1. Cumin
  1. Lotus
  1. Brahman
  1. Auspicious
  1. Namaskar
  1. Sandalwood Paste
  1. Vermilion
  1. Red Tikka Mark
  1. Kohl
  1. Kautuka
  1. Choi
  1. Petticoat
  1. Marigold

Chapter One Discussion Questions

  1. How old is Koly when the story begins?
  1. How does Koly’s father make a living?
  1. How does Koly’s mom get money for the family?
  1. Explain the symbolic meaning of the lotus pod that Koly’s mother embroiders on her Sari.
  1. Explain what Koly constructs for her own dowry.
  1. What does Koly’s family have to sell to get enough money for the dowry and how does this hurt the family?
  1. Describe, in addition to the money, the jewelry that is used for the dowry.
  1. How do they decide the date and time of the wedding?
  1. Why were Koly’s parents pleased that the wedding would take the place at Hari’s home?
  1. What did Koly take with her to her marriage?
  1. Explain how Koly described the Mehta’s house.
  1. How does Koly greet Mrs. Mehta?
  1. Koly wants to see her future husband but his mother says she will not be able to. Koly is concerned she will not love him. How does Koly’s mother respond?
  1. What do they say will happen if the wedding doesn’t take place at the assigned time?
  1. Explain what Koly and Hari wear at the wedding.
  1. How does the wedding ceremony end?
  1. What food is cooked at the reception?

18. Why does Koly not get a coconut cake the day of her wedding?

  1. What does Koly do with her silver earrings?

Chapter Two Vocabulary

  1. Sass
  1. Varanasi
  1. Ganges River
  1. Chandra
  1. Sassur
  1. Pyre
  1. Charpoy

8. Neem Tree

1.

Chapter Two Discussion Questions

  1. What does Mr. Mehta do for a living?
  1. Explain the household tasks that Koly performs on a daily basis.
  1. What do people bring Hari while he is sick?
  1. Why are they going to take Hari to Varanasi?
  1. Why does Hari think he will be lucky if he dies in Varanasi?
  1. What does Chandra tell Koly about why the family allowed Hari to marry despite his sickness?
  1. Why does Koly worry about becoming a widow?
  1. How does Hari use his sickness as an advantage towards his parents?
  1. Explain why killing a cow is a terrible deed in India.
  1. Why does the healer (Bhagat) sprinkle leaves of the neem tree on Hari?

Chapter Three Vocabulary

  1. Darshan
  1. Wallahs
  1. Rickshaw
  1. Dal
  1. Chapati
  1. Camphor
  1. Pilgrimage
  1. Golden Temple of Vishvanath
  1. Saffron
  1. Sadhus
  1. Ghat
  1. Puja
  1. Jains
  1. Sikhs

Chapter Three Discussion Questions

  1. What does Chandra have to do in order to share in the sight of the Ganges?
  1. Why does Koly think the many urns on the train where inauspicious?
  1. Why does Sassur give money to the beggars?
  1. What does Koly notice about the streets in Varanasi?
  1. What does Hari become amazed at when they enter Varanasi?
  1. Mr. Lal gives Hari a small jug of water. What does Hari do and why is this significant?
  1. What do they rub on Hari’s chest?
  1. What does Koly notice about the surroundings as they make their pilgrimage to the Golden Temple?
  1. What does Koly notice about the inside of the temple?
  1. What does Koly describe is happening along the water’s edge?
  1. How does Hari’s condition change after floating in the Ganges?
  1. What did they do to Hari’s body after death?
  1. What do they believe the scattering of Hari’s ashes over the Ganges will do?

14. Why does Sass purchase a white cotton sari for Koly?

Chapter Four Vocabulary

  1. Dung cakes
  1. Holi celebration
  1. Bandicoot
  1. Monsoon
  1. Krishna’s birthday
  1. Rabindranath Tagore
  1. Gataka
  1. Untouchables

Chapter Four Discussion Questions

  1. How were things different at home after Hari’s death?
  1. What does Sass tell Koly about the untouchables?
  1. What does Koly begin to do in order to comfort herself?
  1. How does Koly learn how to read?
  1. Describe what Koly daydreams about.
  1. How does Koly explain the results of the monsoons?

7. Why would Koly make sure she never spilled salt?

8. What is Koly’s favorite poem about?

Chapter Five Vocabulary

  1. Tali
  1. Pooris
  1. Chutney
  1. Sitar

Chapter Five Questions

  1. What job does Chandra's future husband have?
  1. How does Chandra respond when Koly asks her if she loves her future husband?
  1. Why is Koly not able to help Chandra prepare for her wedding day?
  1. Explain the food at the wedding celebration.

Chapter 6 Journal Activity

On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions and explain your answers.

Is there something that has always been there for you and can always cheer you up? That something can be

a pet, toy, song, or place. Explain your answer.

Chapter Six Vocabulary

  1. Chula
  1. Kurta Pajama
  1. Maa
  1. Baap
  1. Shrine
  1. Pariah
  1. Bandicoot
  1. Mynah Bird

9. Widow Sari

Chapter Six Discussion Questions

  1. List the daily chores that Koly does now that Hari and Chandra are gone.
  1. How did the dog and bandicoot help Koly?
  1. Why can’t Koly obtain her pension herself?

Chapter Seven Vocabulary

  1. Ghee
  1. Rupee
  1. Muslin
  1. Bangle
  1. Okra
  1. Impudent

Chapter Seven Questions

  1. When Chandra returns home, what changes in her does Koly notice right away? Changes she learns of later?
  1. List the funeral customs mentioned in the description of Sassur’s funeral. What does each mean or stand for?
  1. Name the items that Sass sold to the moneylender.
  1. What caused Koly to give up her silver earrings? Why was this so significant?
  1. What would it take for you to give up your “silver earrings” or item worth the most to you?
  1. Why was the letter from Sass’s brother so important?
  2. What ‘treat’ did Sass have in mind for Koly on their way to Delhi?
  1. Sass’s demand for the rickshaw driver to “take us to the temple” was absurd. Why?
  1. Describe Koly’s reaction to the city once she had waited at the temple.

10. Koly was left with 47 rupees. Approximately how much is this in American dollars?

Chapter Eight Vocabulary

  1. Lord Krishna
  1. Pittance
  1. Govindji
  1. Piety
  1. Mustard Oil
  1. Yamuna Rive
  1. Curd
  1. Tunic

Chapter Eight Discussion Questions

  1. How does the elderly woman help Koly?
  1. In your own words, retell the elderly woman’s story.
  1. Why does Koly resist contacting her family?
  1. Koly is still unable to obtain her pension. Why?
  1. Describe how Koly shows greed.
  1. Why do you think Koly fears the man in the red shirt?

7. The rickshaw driver tells Koly that he cannot demand more money. In your own words, explain why.

Chapter Nine Vocabulary

  1. Shikanji
  1. Peepul Tree
  1. Jasmine

Chapter Ten Vocabulary

  1. PhulKhana
  1. Salwar Kameez
  1. Skein
  1. Deft(ly)
  1. Bhang
  1. Lassi
  1. Tabla

Chapter Ten Discussion Questions

  1. What new experiences does Koly have while traveling with Mrs. Devi?
  1. Describe the events that lead to Mrs. Devi funding a widow house.
  1. Why does Koly decide to stitch a heron?
  1. Koly said that working was great because she was paid to do what she loved best, embroider. What type of job would mean this much to you? Why?
  1. How does Koly end up getting Maa Kamala to let her go to Mala’s house?
  1. What about Mala’s house does Koly find exciting?
  1. What does she find scary or frightening?

Chapter Eleven Discussion Questions

  1. Name three crops that Raji planted at his farm.
  1. Why does Raji say he wants to marry Koly?
  1. What reasons does Koly give for begin an unworthy bride?
  1. Describe Raji’s letters to Koly. What type of things does he tell her about?
  1. What important items does Koly put on her fourth quilt? Why?
  1. Raji quotes in one of his letters, “He who plants a tree will have his reward”. What does this mean to you?

7. At the end of the story, Koly plans to embroider a sari for Mrs. Devi with something from a Tagore poem. She chooses the homeless bird. How does the themes of homeless bird relate to Koly's life?

Homeless Bird Test

  1. What do Koly and her mother prepare for Koly's wedding?

a) A quilt and a sari

b) Traditional dumplings

c) Linen table coverings

d) A special sari for her new sass

2. What was the motive behind Hari and Koly’smarriage.

a) find a suitable wife for him

b) get money for a trip to the Ganges

c) to have another person to help with the work at their farm

d) to find someone to care for Hari while he was sick

3. When Sass finally allows Koly to go sit with Hari, what do they do?

a) Look at the items that he collects and talk of Koly’s home

b) Talk about school

c) Koly tells him stories of her adventures in the city

d) Argue about the trip the next day

4. What importance do the bandicoot and stray dog have for Koly in Chapter 6?

a) She becomes a teacher as she trains them.

b) They are her only friends.

c) They represent the abundance of food.

d) She names then for Hari and Chandra.

5. Where did Sass abandon Koly?

a) in the home she had shared with Sassur

b) in the rickshaw

c) in Varanasi at the Ganges River

d) in a temple on the journey to her brother’s home

6. Funeral Customs in India might include:

a)wearing silver earrings and a wreath on one’s head made of marigolds

b)tie the person’s arms together and dropping ghee on the way home from the funeral

c)burning the clothing that was worn at death

d)burning the body and putting the ashes in the Ganges

7. The term “auspicious” refers to:

a) being suspicious of another person’s motives

b)a favorable sign

c)bad luck

d)having awesome taste in clothing and jewelry

8. A widow is:

a)a woman who no one wants to marry

b)untouchables in the Caste System of India (women only)

c) a second-class citizen with no right to vote

d)a woman whose husband has died

9. Which of these are considered clothing?

a)tamarind, saffron, and charpoy

b)shrine, chula, sadhus

c)choli, sari, tunic

d)curd, ghee, gataka

10. The book that Sassur gave Koly and she traded her earrings for was:

a)a holy book with stories of darshan

b)the first book he used in teaching her how to read

c)a book of poems by Tagore

d)a history book of her family ancestry

11. Widows in India wear ______.

a)black sari

b)white sari

c)a purple sari embroidered with a bird- a sign of peace in the afterlife

d) marigold-colored sari

12. Why did Koly not receive her pension while living with Sass?

a) Sass took it before she ever saw it

b)the mailman couldn’t travel that far

c)Sassur used the money to learn how to use computers

d) She didn’t have a bank account and couldn’t make withdrawals

13. Koly gets a job working for:

a) Mrs. Devi making bracelets

b) Mala making ghee to sell in the market

c) Mr. Govind stringing flowers

d)the widow’s house helping new widows that arrive

14. Who does Koly marry at the end of the story?

a)a distant relative of Sassur that she falls in love with

b)Raji, the rickshaw driver/farmer

c) Mr. Govind’s son from work at the flower shop

d)she remains a widow and begins a job-finding program for abandoned young girls

15. At the end, Koly plans to embroider a sari for Mrs. Devi. She chooses a homeless bird. How does the title (Homeless Bird) of the book relate to Koly’s life?

a)Koly was always homeless and made a good life for herself in spite of her circumstances

b) Love overcomes all tragedy

c)Koly was like a homeless bird but found a permanent home through the kindness of Mrs. Devi and the love of Raji

d)Koly has a great love of embroidery and knows that Mrs. Devi’s favorite animal is a bird

16-18. Character Analysis Choose at least three characters from the book, and analyze their character traits. Prove your assumptions with references from the novel.

Character / Traits / Proof
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